"Chop the bird into pieces - on the bone is even better," says
Long Chim and Nahm chef David Thompson. "Legs and wings are the
best cuts to use. Fry and brown the chicken well before adding the
paste - it will give the dish a more rounded flavour and an
attractive colour. The red curry paste is the only curry paste I
would cook in a wok. I like to sneak a little pork fat into the mix
for a richer curry."

Method

01

For red curry paste, drain chillies and coarsely chop, then pound to fine paste with a pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle. Add remaining ingredients one at a time, pounding to a paste before adding the next.

02

For garlic paste, coarsely pound ingredients with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and set aside.

03

Heat fat or oil in a wok over medium-high heat until hot, add chicken and stir-fry until coloured and aromatic (5-7 minutes). Add garlic paste and fry until golden (1-2 minutes). Season with 2 tbsp fish sauce and simmer for a few moments while turning and coating the chicken. Add 60gm red curry paste (remaining will keep refrigerated for a week) and simmer over low heat until reduced (1-2 minutes). Add extra torn kaffir lime leaves, chilli powder and ground coriander, then season to taste with palm sugar and fish sauce. Add 250ml water and simmer, adding more wateras necessary, until chicken is cooked, and curry sauce is thick, dry, and tastes rich and spicy, with quite a lot of oil on the surface (15-20 minutes).

At A Glance

Serves 4 - 6 people

1 hour 0 min preparation

25 min cooking

Additional Notes

Thai garlic is smaller and sweeter than other varieties of garlic, and is available from Thai food stores. If it’s unavailable, substitute small garlic cloves. Dry-roast whole seeds, then grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.To dry-roast spices, cook the spices in a dry pan, stirring continuously over medium-high heat until they’re fragrant. The cooking time varies depending on the spices used. Peppercorn sprigs, kaffir limes, gapi (Thai shrimp paste), grachai (Thai wild ginger), scud chillies and holy basil are all available from Thai grocers.